


Easy Living

by MrsnMrsAird



Series: Datebook [series of minifics] [5]
Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Fluff without Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7222459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsnMrsAird/pseuds/MrsnMrsAird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Aird-Belivet household is going on a road trip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Easy Living

**Author's Note:**

> The title is cliche and this is cheesy but I love it. I had this random scene stuck in my head so I had to write it out. I am getting back into writing and I have realised that I'm already rusty but my exams are done now and I'm on summer break so I'll be writing more soon!! Hope you like this <3

Weekends of calm and cold mornings whispered good mornings and jovial breakfasts shared with two of the most treasured people in her life was what Carol often thought of as true and unending peace, a peace she had never known before now. The sun was hiding behind the horizon, slowly making its way up like a Packard on an empty highway looking for its next motel. The apartment was quiet until a creak of the door and the dull thud of something falling on the floor disturbed its delicate stillness. Therese stirred first, being the lighter sleeper, hearing a patter of little footsteps that always brought a slight smile to her face.

“Your daughter is awake.” Therese rasped, trying to turn her head over her shoulder to properly speak to Carol then letting it fall back into the pillow.

“She’s your daughter before sunrise” Carol buried her face into Therese’s shoulder and pulled Therese’s back tighter against herself.

Their bedroom door creaked open and Rindy ran straight for their bed.

“Mommy!! Wake up!!” Carol made no effort to move, obviously fallen asleep again.

“Rindy, baby. Have you gotten ready yet?” Therese awkwardly sat up with Carol’s arm still tight around her waist.

“I just woke up.”

“Go take out your clothes and get in the shower sweetie, Mommy will be ready in a minute.”

“Do you promise?” Rindy huffed and crossed her arms.

“Yes, I do.” Therese managed a sleep addled smile.

“Okay.” Rindy conceded and happily skipped back to her bedroom.

Carol had let Therese go and turned over to curl up and fall asleep again. Therese rubbed her eyes and rolled her eyes around in hopes to become more coherent.  
With her face buried in her chest and legs brought up to her stomach, Carol was a huge breathing ball of maroon sheets.

“Get up you lump!” Therese put her hand on what she could feel was Carol’s hip and pushed her as best she could.

“Well, good morning to you too,” Carol grumbled and sat up, pooling the sheets around her.

“We have to-“

“I know. You go get ready, I’ll make breakfast.”

“No, no. You go ahead first.” Therese knew Carol took longer and it would be better for the both of them, plus Therese had no intentions of showering before sunrise.

“Okay then. It’s too early for Rindy to be hungry so just pack some extra sandwiches and we’ll take ‘em along.” With that, Carol pushed herself off the bed and started for the bathroom.

Therese took a breath, found her slippers and got out of the bedroom. The apartment was still dark, disorientating her a bit. She went to check on Rindy first, checking whether she was getting ready or had gone to bed too, after all, she was her mother’s daughter. Therese saw the outfit Rindy had laid out on the bed for herself and heard the shower running, she smiled to herself. A weird sense of pride and nostalgia of seeing Rindy doing things on her own and growing up, Therese never thought she would experience this. She went up to the bathroom door and knocked.

“Rindy! Do you need any help?” Therese shouted.

“I got it!” Rindy shouted back through the bathroom door.

Therese walked out again and went to the kitchen. She mindlessly set herself to making a pot of coffee and the sandwiches they needed. She cut cheese, ham, buttered bread, put the filter in the coffee machine, took the cream out and other memorised tasks while listening for either of the two Aird women to be done and come to join her. Rindy’s voice came first.

“Mom! I can’t find my shoes!” Therese dropped the sandwich she was packing and walked towards Rindy’s room again; wiping her hands on the robe she wore over her pajamas.

“Did you check under the bed? Or by the door?” Therese spoke softly, peering into the room standing in the doorway. Rindy’s eyes widened and she ran towards the apartment door immediately.

“Therese!” Then came the other Aird.

“Coming!” Therese went to the kitchen first to pick up Carol’s mug of coffee before going to the bedroom.

Carol was sitting on by the vanity, wildly looking through the door for something. Therese quietly walked up behind her and set the coffee on the vanity, stopping Carol’s movements. She took a strand of Carol’s now messy hair and twirled it between her index and middle finger, looking at her through their reflection in the mirror.

“Leave it.” Therese whispered.

“People will see,” Carol sighed and closed her eyes.

“No one will be there.”

“Okay. Let me at least brush my hair.”

Therese smiled smugly at Carol and just got a glare in response. She knew that getting Carol to forgo her routine of doing her hair and makeup immaculately for even the early hours of the morning when even the birds weren’t awake, was highly unlikely so she settled and went to get ready herself. Forgoing a shower, Therese washed her face, changed out of her pajamas into an old shirt and comfortable jeans. She was more comfortable in letting people see her like this; she had often come back from the office looking much worse. She pinned her hair back and picked up her camera bag and walked out to see Carol in a sweater and a skirt, light makeup but hair done perfectly. This was the most casual a woman like Carol could be on a trip out of the house. Carol was enjoying her coffee with Rindy sat across her, bubbling with excitement in her chair next to an empty glass of milk.

“Are we ready?” Therese called out, adjusting her camera across her shoulder.

“Yes!!” Rindy called out and jumped off her chair to run to the apartment door.

Carol picked up their picnic basket that Therese had filled with sandwiches and juice. She then walked up to Therese, grabbing her chin to lift her up slightly and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Therese tasted coffee and peppermint toothpaste, not a great combination but Carol’s lips made anything taste good. Therese smiled up at Carol and snaked her arms around her waist. She lowered her hand to Carol’s bum and pinched it, making Carol yelp and jump away from her. Before Carol could respond beyond the exasperated expression on her face, Therese giggled and ran towards Rindy, unlocking the door and running out with Rindy who held Therese’s hand tightly and giggling along with her.

Soon they were in their car, suitcases in the trunk, basket and blankets in the backseat and Rindy in the middle of Carol and Therese in the front bench seat. This road trip was already going to be one to remember with Therese and Rindy sharing a sandwich and screaming out lyrics to Rindy’s favourite songs to Carol. Carol had anticipated that Rindy would be excited but she had no clue how much of that would rub off on Therese. She wished she could let the steering wheel go and just stare at her two angels, with Rindy in Therese’s lap and both of them speaking an octave too loud for this calm early morning. It wasn’t going to be a long road trip, two women with a child just touring around the United States would make their relationship very difficult to mask so Carol wanted to bask in every second of it. The dark roads soon started to light up and though her eyelids burned with every blink, heading towards the rising sun, which lit the blue skies in oranges and yellows, on an empty highway made every part of her feel alive. Carol was immediately nostalgic for Abby’s convertible, remembering when she could feel the breeze on her face and have both their laughter blown way in the wind that was so sharp that they would have to squeeze their eyes shut. She looked over then to Therese and Rindy, wondering how they were being so quiet about this and saw Rindy curled in Therese’s arms while both of them, half leant on the window, half on each other and slept. Obviously tired from the shenanigans they got up to in their excitement, even the harsh rays of the sun couldn’t wake them up. Carol smiled and carefully moved to turn the sun visor down on Therese’s side and put on her sunglasses. After a while of peaceful driving, the silence got a bit much and Carol quickly got sleepy as well. She grudgingly pulled into the first motel she saw, not wanting to go off schedule but also succumbing to her need for sleep.

“Therese, wake up.”

“Are we there?”

“We are stopping at a motel sweetheart. I’m going to get us checked in. Wait here for me.” Therese nodded in response and fought the urge of dozing off again.

Carol quickly got the formalities out the way, left the suitcases in the car and quickly got Therese and Rindy into the room. Two twins beds, which were definitely not big enough for the three of them to fit in, and neither Carol nor Therese had the strength or desire to push them together so they all could fit. So Carol tucked Rindy into one, putting extra pillows by her side lest she rolls over and walked over to lead Therese, who was still standing in the middle of the room and falling asleep, into the other one.

“Come on Sleepy-head, time for bed” Carol put her hand on Therese’s shoulder and nudged her towards the bed. She pulled the covers back and waited for Therese to get in before going to close the curtains.

“Are you coming to this bed or do I have to bribe you?” Therese slurred from across the room.

“I was going to but I’d like to know what this bribe is going to be.” Carol started to back towards the bed.

“I can tell you all about it when you are in my arms,” Therese pushed the covers back and extended her arms out.

“Smart ass,” Carol smiled and got into the bed with Therese, wrapping her arms around her love and pressed a kiss to her temple. They had a long day ahead of them but a slight pause for a comfort like this was never unwelcome.


End file.
